PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — An intense takedown by Palm Beach County sheriff's deputies was caught on camera earlier this year.
The incident is now at the center of a federal civil rights lawsuit that claims deputies used excessive force.
It happened just after midnight on Feb.13 when Christopher Connelly went to his ex-girlfriend's home in Lake Worth Beach to pick up his keys and wallet. He said a neighbor called deputies complaining about noise, prompting law enforcement to respond to the scene.
According to the arrest report, Connelly refused to leave and "appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or narcotics."
A body camera worn by a Palm Beach County sheriff's deputy recorded one of the law enforcement officers saying to Connelly, "If you go over there (toward his ex-girlfriend's apartment,) you're going to get Tased."
That body camera video showed Connelly appearing to shove a deputy and then attempting to run away. A neighbor's cellphone captured deputies chasing him down. When he was on the ground, one deputy appeared to beat the suspect.
"He was elbowed in the neck, in the face," Connelly's lawyer, Adanté Pointer of the California-based "Law for the People" firm, said during a Tuesday news conference.
Read the full lawsuit below:
Connelly had to be taken to a hospital after the encounter with deputies. Pointer displayed pictures of Connelly's bloody face.
"It's now in the aftermath of being beaten," said Pointer talking about his lawsuit on Connelly's behalf.
He said his client is "having anxiety, suffering post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury."
"I have pain on the left side of my head, shooting down to my neck," Connelly said pointing to his injuries.
Connelly also added that his shoulder and leg were badly damaged and that has blurry vision in his left eye as a result of the incident.
He was arrested on charges of resisting arrest and assaulting a law enforcement officer. Those charges were later dropped.
The federal civil rights lawsuit targets the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and the three deputies who made the arrest. The lawsuit makes claims of excessive force and unlawful arrest.
WPTV asked Connelly if he's bitter about the incident.
"I just want justice," replied Connelly. "I don't want it to happen to anyone else."
WPTV contacted the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office about the lawsuit. The agency said they don't comment on pending litigation.
